Magic of the Wood House

by Cassandra Gannon

  Teja hated that idea, though. She dreaded Sullivan knowing about the period after Oberon’s death. Her plan to kill herself wasn’t her finest hour. Certainly, not a moment in time she was eager for her Match to witness.

  “Getting invested in you would be a mistake.” Sullivan agreed with a nod. “I’ve been saying that all along.”

  Wasn’t he just sooo damn agreeable?

  Son-of-a-bitch, why was he so willing to go along with this “detached” plan? It was like he was determined not to show her anything about himself. Was he hiding something? Matches usually fell in love almost instantly. Why did he not feel that? Why was he so hard to read?

  “It’s okay to be a little invested.” Teja heard herself say. “Enough to know that we’re connected in a way that you aren’t with anyone else. We supposed to be together. We’re a Match.”

  Still, nobody was entirely clear on how Matches worked with humans. That was why so many women followed Sullivan around Mayport Beach, trying to lure him into bed. (Well, that and the fact that he was annoyingly, exotically gorgeous.) His human DNA meant that there was a chance that Sullivan could choose his own mate and have children with any woman he wanted. Odds were good that Sullivan might be able to Phaze with all sorts of people. He could renounce Teja and move on with someone who could give him all the feelings he deserved.

  Someone Teja would fucking kill.

  Maybe Sullivan could’ve found a more worthy Match, but there was no one else in the universe he’d be safe with. All those other women were useless. Teja was one of the most powerful Phases alive. A trained warrior. A Fire Phase. How could she ever turn Sullivan over to somebody who couldn’t protect him? He needed her. He was her responsibility.

  He was hers.

  Sullivan looked over at her, still mistrustful. “You’re the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen,” he began, “but you’re completely delusional. I’m not supposed to be with you, I’m not your boyfriend, and we’re definitely not connected. The game’s over.”

  This was what happened when you got mixed up with someone so young. Teja’s eyes went to his belt buckle. Things would probably go easier if she just tied him up. “Tell ya what. Let’s see how you feel after we get you naked.”

  His jaw tightened as she moved closer to him, but he didn’t retreat.

  Teja took it as progress. “Come ‘ere, Sheriff.” She tried and crooked a finger at him, moving close enough for her body to brush against his.

  Sullivan stared down at her breathing hard. “I’m the police chief, not the sheriff.” He whispered. “And this isn’t going to work.”

  “Feels like it’s working.” She went up on tiptoe to brush her mouth against his and she felt him draw in a surprised breath in response. His lips softened and a jackpot sound rang in Teja’s mind.

  Gotcha.

  Sullivan might be emotionally distant, but his body was certainly invested.

  He gave a low groan and kissed back. His mouth slowly moved against hers like he was savoring the taste of her. It was intoxicating. Teja’s toes curled inside her hightops. How could such a big warrior be so gentle? It was his Wood Phase genes, no doubt. That House always contributed the realm’s greatest guardians. Big, calm protectors of truth, justice and the American way.

  It made her want to ravish the honorable right out of him.

  Teja shoved him backwards so he hit the wall, her mouth never leaving his. Sullivan gave a start as she took the kiss to a new level. He wasn’t exactly struggling to get free, though. His palms found the back of her legs, lifting her higher as she scaled his body. Her legs wound around his waist and she could feel how aroused he was. Both of their energies were going wild along their connection.

  “Teja.” Sullivan’s mouth turned hotter, his kiss more desperate. “Ah, Christ.” One of his hands came up to cup her breast through the fabric of her shirt, his breath sawing out in desire. “How do you do this to me?”

  Teja almost smiled at that. Corrupting the innocent came naturally to a Fire Phase.

  She dragged his mouth back to hers, thrilled with how quickly this was progressing. Sullivan was about to become hers. Her lips opened against his and her eyes drifted shut in pleasure. The man tasted like the magic he didn’t believe in. She rocked against him as he massaged her breast with his strong fingers. God, this was all working out sooooo well. She was clearly some kind of seduction genius.

  Her arms wrapped around his neck, a surprised moan leaving her. The Phazing energy swirled around them. She almost felt… excited. Except, Teja couldn’t really feel anything, anymore, so that was impossible. No wonder Phases searched so hard for their Matches. Touching Sullivan, feeling his powers against hers, it was something she’d never expected to find.

  And she wasn’t going to give it.

  “Strip, now.” She ordered again, drawing back.

  Fire Phases weren’t a patient group. It was actually rule twenty-three of their code: “Waiting is overrated.”

  The sooner she Phazed with Sullivan, the sooner he’d be stuck with her forever. No one else would take belonged to Teja. She surreptitiously gauged the distance to the bed and judged it too far. They’d better just do this against the wall. Since Sullivan wasn’t hurrying to comply with her order, she reached for his zipper herself. They needed to hurry…

  “Hell no.” Sullivan quickly dropped her to the ground, looking completely stunned by the kiss and more guarded than ever. “Hang on. We can’t do this.”

  Teja’s eyes narrowed, annoyed to find herself on her feet. “Says who?”

  “Says me. I don’t know how you’re doing this energy thing, but I’m not an idiot.” He shook his head, edging away from her. “No way would you be willing to sleep with me unless there was something bigger going on. I’m not falling for this charade.”

  “Oh, Jesus… Aren’t we passed this yet?”

  “No, we’re fucking not. We’re not getting passed it either, so this is a waste of time. I’m not kidding. This is over.” He slashed a hand through the air. “I’m going home and never thinking about any of you crazy weirdoes again.” He sounded like he desperately wanted to believe that.

  Teja knew better.

  “You can’t just forget about me. That’s not how this works.”

  “Really?” He gave a harsh laugh. “Because, I’ve forgotten other shit apparently. And for all I know, you’re behind that.”

  That was just insulting. “I would never do anything to harm you.” Teja paused, facing the truth. “It is my fault that someone was able to mess with your memories, though.” She admitted. “I should have been keeping a closer eye on you.” She never should have spent the last few weeks avoiding him. It had been weak and dangerous. “I’ll find out who did this and make them pay. I promise.”

  Nobody touched Teja’s Match. Not without their bleeding corpse becoming a publically displayed example of abject suffering and death, strung up as a warning to others.

  Sullivan ran a hand through his hair. “Whatever you’re after, you’re not going to find it with me. Just give it up. For both our sakes.”

  Teja’s head titled. Fire Phases didn’t like to be denied and they never gave up. Ever. Did Sullivan really not understand how far someone from her House would go to have their Match? Maybe a Wood Phase would nobly surrender rather than cheat, but the Fire House didn’t worry about playing fair.

  “You think you can just walk away from me?” She challenged softly.

  “Yep.”

  “How?”

  Sullivan frowned. “What do you mean how? I’m just going to leave.”

  “Except, you’ve been kidnapped, you moron. How do you think you’re ever leaving unless I let you go?”

  His brows compressed. “You can’t just keep me here and hope Stockholm syndrome kicks in.” He protested in the exact outraged tone you’d expect a Wood Phase to use. They all had this thing about “ethics.” No one in the Fire House really understood it, but, on Sullivan, the righteousness was a teeny b
it cute.

  “I can do whatever I want.” Teja shrugged. “I’ve got superpowers and really lax moral standards. That opens up all kinds of options for me.” Sooner or later, all Fire House courtships resorted to abduction. Now, she saw why. Matches could be so damn difficult.

  He shook his head in disbelief. “This is ridiculous. I have a life, I have a job…”

  “You have a Match.” She interjected. “You’re not going anywhere until you smarten up and admit it.”

  Beautiful brown eyes narrowed. “You really wanna play it that way?” He asked softly.

  “Hey, I’m not the one being an ass about this.” Teja reminded him. “I’ve been completely reasonable and understanding.”

  “You put me in a dungeon!”

  “I let you out, didn’t I? You’re the one who won’t even Phaze with me.” If anyone should be upset it was Teja. Her whole body was tight and aching thanks to him backing away from the kiss. “Is it really such a hardship to unbuckle your pants? What do you have against me, anyhow?”

  “I don’t trust you! For good reason, considering you’re trying to hold me prisoner.”

  She folded her arms across her chest, frustrated by his attitude. How could he not trust his own Match? The man was impossible. “Well, you can just stay here until you do trust me then.”

  “I’m going home, Teja.”

  “This is your home, now.” Jesus, it was like talking to a brick wall. “You can’t stay in the human realm. It isn’t safe for you. Not to mention the fact that every other woman in the world goes there to proposition you. And you let them, which seriously pisses me off.”

  He frowned. “Hang on. I’ve never slept with any of those…”

  She cut him off. “You don’t send them away though, do you? You just let them follow you around.” Teja had considered putting a stop to it herself, but it would seem too much like caring. People without feelings couldn’t possibly get jealous when dozens and dozens and dozens of dazzling women tried to lure their Match into bed.

  “Let them follow me? I told them to stop stalking me. I arrested them. I called for psych evaluations. What more could I do, besides drive them to the county line and drop them off?” He hesitated. “And I actually tried that too, but Hallie just came back.”

  That didn’t surprise her. Hadlyn, of the Weather House had a mind like a pit bull.

  She was also disgustingly adorable, with shiny blonde hair and the kind of curvy figure Elemental men loved. The kind of figure Teja used to have before the Fall killed her desire to eat and what little vanity she’d once possessed. Now she was fifteen pounds lighter and her idiot Match was sure to notice that he could have way more shapely companions.

  Maybe that’s why he refused to Phaze. Maybe he was planning to leave her for some curvy little ditz with feelings. Maybe he was going to renounce her.

  Teja’s teeth ground together. It would never happen.

  “Here’s how this is going to work, human.” She jabbed a finger at him. “You’re going Phaze with me, sooner or later. And, until then, you’re going to stay right here in the Fire Kingdom until you figure out who you belong to. Got it?”

  Sullivan leaned closer to her. “You’re insane.” He bit off.

  Teja decided to take that as a “yes.” “And I’m all yours.” She gave him a smirk. “Now, come downstairs and trim the goddamn Christmas tree before I strangle you.” She went slamming out of the room and stood in the hallway for a moment, breathing hard.

  Okay.

  That probably could’ve gone better.

  Chapter Six

  Why, fire is his proper element.

  Alexandre Dumas- “The Black Tulip”

  Christmas Eve Evening

  So, now he was spending Christmas with the Addams Family. Or maybe it was the Munsters. God knew, he was developing sudden empathy for poor Marilyn.

  Sullivan rubbed his temple and had no idea how he’d gotten into this mess. Obviously, Teja was to blame. The woman was holding him hostage in Castle Greyskull until he agreed to get naked. What the hell was he supposed to do about that? Hitchhiking back to Earth seemed like a longshot and he wasn’t about to shoot his way free. Especially since Teja still had his Phasing killing gun.

  Honestly, wouldn’t have harmed any of these nuts, even if he could. Sullivan had spent his whole life feeling out of step and isolated. A square peg in a round hole. He never really belonged anywhere. But, when he sat in the middle of his obnoxious, bickering kidnappers, everything felt sort of… right.

  Obviously, his instincts were still misfiring.

  Another clue to a deeper problem: he wasn’t in quite the hurry to escape Teja’s clutches as he should’ve been. He should’ve been planning an escape. He should’ve been halfway back to reality. There had to be a way and he could figure it out if he tried.

  Devising strategies to escape an incredibly beautiful, incredibly smart, supernatural princess ranked about dead last on his mental to-do list, though. Sullivan instincts started going haywire when Teja wandered more than two yards away from him. No way did they want him putting a whole galaxy between them. Fleeing was the last thing on his mind.

  Instead, he was watching the Fire Phases decorate their Christmas tree.

  The colossal spruce topped out at about twenty feet, nearly brushing the cathedral ceiling in their living room. They’d set it up on a platform made of coffins, adding to its massive height. Sullivan hoped to God they hadn’t “liberated” it from a National Forest somewhere. He slouched down further in his slightly scorched armchair and told himself that it was not almost amusing to watching the holiday chaos these lunatics created.

  Kingu, of the Fire House dug through a stack of boxes. Sullivan had met him before. Massive guys who kind of looked like dragons were hard to forget. Kingu’s cherubic little wife, Hope, had placed a velvet Santa hat on his dark head, but it did nothing to soften his slightly inhuman features.

  “I found them, treasure.” Kingu reported, holding up a set of skeleton-shaped twinkle lights better suited for a haunted house.

  “Oh, perfect! Those have to go on first.” Hope bounced over to him, bending down to kiss Kingu’s cheek. “Just think, next year we can do this with our daughter.”

  Kingu’s mouth curved, one baseball mitt sized hand caressing her stomach like she was made of porcelain. The guy was almost as big as the Christmas tree, but he was wrapped around Hope’s little finger. His red eyes glowed with love as he watched her haphazardly drape the plastic Halloween decorations on the thick branches.

  Of all the Fire Phases, Hope was the only blonde and clearly the baby of the House. She was part human and liked to celebrate the holidays, so the whole family indulged her. Sullivan assumed that was why they were more accepting of human traditions than the Cult members in Mayport Beach, who’d spent all of December in a state of yuletide confusion.

  Alder was tying glittery ribbons to the handles of butcher knives so they could hang the deadly blades as ornaments. “So, I said, ‘Look, the damn cow is the one who took Raiden, not me. She’s been spreading her evil for a hundred years.’” He shook his head. “Chason didn’t believe me, though. He doesn’t understand what a duplicitous…’”

  “The chick from the future has Raiden.” Pele interrupted. She was stringing what looked like shrunken heads on piano wire. “I’m sure of it.”

  Alder hesitated, squinting in deep concentration. “Nah, I think it’s the cow.”

  “It’s totally the chick from the future.” Satour agreed. He looked like his brother, Alder, only with a chrome eyebrow piercing and a leaner build. He sat on the floor, dissecting a robotic elf with a hacksaw, for no discernable reason. “Christ knows why she wants him, but I’ll betcha she’s got Raiden locked up and she’s doing all kinds of twisted, sexual shit to him, right now. Lucky bastard.”

  Alder still didn’t look convinced. “Well, who did the cow kidnap, then?”

  “Can we stop with the damn cow?” Teja demanded sharply. “
Just for one day, can we please not talk about the cow?”

  The other Fire Phases turned to frown at her in disapproval.

  Sullivan shot her a bland look. If his emotions were in turmoil, at least he had the comfort of knowing that Teja was suffering, too. She was in a worse mood than usual, apparently brooding over the fact that Sullivan wouldn’t strip off his clothes and submit to her “Phazing” idea.

  “You ready to let me go, yet?” He asked, just to piss her off.

  She glowered at him, somehow blaming him for everything that had happened. “Shut-up and watch the stupid cartoon, human.” She ordered, leaning against the wall and observing the holiday happenings like Ebenezer Scrooge.

  Sullivan glanced over at the sixty-two inch TV, where The Year Without Santa Claus was playing.

  “That asshole Snow Miser should die screaming.” Djinn muttered, his face set in lines of intense hatred. “That whiny Mother Nature bitch, too.”

  The Fire Phases were Heat Miser boosters, all the way. If magic existed, Djinn would’ve been leaping through the screen and beating the holy hell out of a certain blue puppet. Hopefully, they didn’t have the DVD of Frosty the Snowman or a riot might break out.

  “Cookies!” Missy, of the Fire House came skipping into the room with a plate of gingerbread men. None of them had heads and all of them were doused in bloody pools of red icing.

  At least, Sullivan hoped it was icing.

  Having known the girl for just a few hours, Sullivan already knew that Missy was crazy. Her too-wide smile was the kind favored by axe-murderers and children’s television stars. He was still iffy about the whole Elemental “energy” bullshit, but he could feel something… fragmented about her. Like, on some level, Missy was barely holding together. Given her schizophrenically happy mood, though, she seemed to be dealing with her madness well.

  Pele glanced over at her daughter. “You set the traps?” She reached up to grab one of the decapitated gingerbread men from the tray. “I don’t want that fat burglar and his sack of toys breaking into the fortress.”